Waverley Drive Public School
September, 2014
Welcome Back
Welcome back to Waverley Dr. P.S. and welcome to those families who are new to our
community. I am looking forward to meeting our new students and their families. Hopefully
everyone found a way to have fun and enjoy some memorable family time together this summer.
Our custodians Mr. Wilson, Mrs. MacNeil, Ms. Marquardt, Mrs. Johnson have worked hard this
summer to clean our school and have it safe and ready for the school year. The Waverley staff also
worked hard over the summer taking courses and preparing classrooms for the new school year.
As you may be aware, we begin the year based on enrollment projections from last spring.
Depending on our fall enrollment we may need to re-organize some of our classes in early
September. Our intermediate classes, in particular, are very large and may need to be reorganized. Staff have been told that their classes and assignments may change if we have to reorganize. We will inform parents in a letter if classes need to be re-organized.
In an effort to cut down on paper and help the environment I would like to send the newsletter out
via email for the rest of the school year. Please visit the Waverley Drive P.S. website homepage and
click to subscribe to receive email notification. You will be notified when the newsletter is published
and any other information about upcoming events throughout the year. If you still wish a paper
copy of the monthly newsletter to be sent home please let the office know.
I look forward to seeing you at our open house Thursday September 11, from 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Blair Conrad
Welcome back to school! I am very excited to join the Waverley Drive Community as the VicePrincipal. The first day of school has always been one of my most favorite days. I have worked as a
teacher at Willow Road for 13 years, then I had the wonderful opportunity to work with the board’s
Progam Department as a Curriculum Leader for 3 years. For the last 2 years I have been the VicePrincipal of Erin Public School. I am looking forward to getting to know all the members of the
Waverley community.
Hanna Morris
Safe Arrival Program
Your child’s safety while at school is of the utmost importance to us. Please contact the school,
before 8:40 a.m., if your child is going to be absent or late. We have a telephone answering service,
which allows you to call late at night or early in the morning. The phone number is 519-824-7742,
General Delivery mailbox 100. If your child is absent and you have not contacted the office; we will
attempt to contact you first at home, then at work and, if necessary, we will try to contact your
emergency contact person. As a last resort, the police will be called. It is for this reason that your
home, work, and emergency contact telephone numbers are kept up to date at all times.
Newsletter Inserts
Upper Grand District School Board Student Verification v.21: please review and update your
child’s information, sign it and return the form to the homeroom teacher. All sections must be
completed (where applicable) including an emergency contact name and number.
Walking trip, blue form (all Grades): This is a blanket form that allows teachers to take
students on walks about Guelph. Please sign and date this form and return it to the homeroom
teacher.
Freedom of Information, yellow form (all Grades): please read this information carefully. If
there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school and return it to the homeroom
teacher.
The above forms should be returned by September 11,2014
School Handbook
Please refer to our School Handbook 2014-2015 for our School’s policies, procedures. A handbook
will arrive home with the youngest and only children of the family. Please set aside some time to
review this important resource.
Open House
Please join us at our Open House on Thursday, September 11 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. You can
meet your child’s teacher and enjoy visiting with everyone. Mark this important date on your
calendar so that you do not forget to join us on the September 11. See you then!
Parking Around Our School
Please respect the no parking and no stopping signs posted on the city streets around our school.
Parking enforcement office will be issuing tickets to cars that park illegally. The main school
parking lot is out of bounds to parents dropping off students before and after school.
Help us keep our students safe. Please ensure you do not block the driveways of our neighbours as
you park to pickup students.
Professional Activity Days
As you know we have 4 P.A. days this year: October 24, January 23, June 5, June 26.
Message from the Elementary Superintendents of Education
School Organization
Schools have built class lists based on their tentative organizations. Changes may be necessary at
your child(ren)’s school in order that our Board remain compliant with Ministry parameters (see
below). Any changes would be implemented by Monday, September 17 at the latest. Principals do
not have the option of changing the school organization that is set by the District Staffing
Committee of the Board. If changes affect your child(ren), you will be informed by the school.
Ministry of Education Parameters
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Full Day Kindergarten Class Size Average for the Board is 26 students
90% of the Board’s primary classes with 20 or fewer students
10% of the Board’s primary classes up to a maximum of 23 students
Junior/Intermediate Class Size Average for the Board is 25.4 students to 1 teacher
Grade ¾ classes have a cap of 23 students
Administration of Medication
In order for your child to receive any medication at school you must complete a “Consent for
Administration of Oral Medication” form. All medications must be kept in the school office (including
non-prescription items). Please contact the office should you require this form.
Life-Threatening Allergies
Many children have allergies. A few, however, are Life-Threatening. There are several students at
Waverley Dr. School who are severely allergic to peanuts and nut products.
It has been suggested that the best way to provide a safe environment for all students, is to enlist
the support of the parents to help make the school as “peanut and nut free as possible”. This means
that each child is asked to refrain from bringing snacks or lunches, which contain peanut or nut
products.
In our busy daily schedules it is not an easy task to pick and choose the foods that our children
bring to school. We realize this request may pose an inconvenience for you when packing your
child’s snack and lunch. However, we wish to express our sincere appreciation for your support and
understanding of this potentially Life-Threatening allergy.
Knowing that your child has allergies and knowing how to deal with them is our best defense. If
your child has a severe allergy to ANYTHING, please come into the office and fill out a Life
Threatening form. With your help, we will do our best to prevent mishaps and to make sure that all
of your students are safe, healthy and able to concentrate on learning.
Lunch at School
It is obvious that a large number of our students have to eat their lunch at school. Where it is
possible, it is better for a student to have a break away from the routines of the school and return
home or to the home of a caregiver. If your child is to stay for lunch, we require the following
considerations:
a)
children who eat lunch at school are required to stay on the school grounds
b)
children are accountable for their behaviour during the lunch period, whether inside or out.
Children will be supervised by staff and noon hour supervisors.
Children who regularly eat lunch at school will require a note from their parents, if they wish to
leave the school.
Please complete the enclosed lunch routine form (purple) and return it to school ASAP.
Safety on the Playground
Our playground is designed for users ages 12 and under and we do not provide supervision,
maintenance and inspections outside of school hours. Board policy determines that the equipment is
off limits from November 1 to March 31, and at other times as determined by the school
administration. This includes periods of freezing temperatures, when there is freezing rain, if the
ground cover is frozen, or if there is a buildup of snow and ice. Rules for students: no pushing; no
running around the play structures; no fighting; no eating while on the playground equipment; and
no throwing sticks, stones or other objects.
The following are not allowed on the equipment: skipping ropes; ropes; scarves or loose
drawstrings on children’s clothing. We have been advised, by our insurance company that children
should not wear bicycle helmets on the play structures. In one accident a child wearing a helmet got
his head trapped in a piece of equipment and was asphyxiated, and other reports of hanging deaths
due to the helmet straps have been noted.
You should also know that event of an injury, students and staff are reminded that the injured
person should not be moved, and a supervisor must be notified immediately. We know how much
the children enjoy our play structure. We make safety at play our major concern and will be
reminding our students on a regular basis about the playground rules.
Student Accident Insurance
Parents or guardians are responsible for expenses related to student injuries on school premises
during school activities. Accidents can and do happen and the costs involved might not be fully
covered by Provincial Health Care or employer group insurance plans.
The Upper Grand District School Board is empowered under the Education Act to offer Accident and
Life Insurance for students.
Information will be sent home beginning on September 8th with respect to Student Accident
Insurance offered by the Reliable Life Insurance Company. You should receive the Director's letter,
an Acknowledgment to be signed by parents (and returned to school) and a Student Accident
Insurance application form (to be mailed directly to Reliable Life). Reliable Life Insurance Company
offers a variety of options, including family rates and multi-year plans, at affordable prices. The
cost must be paid by parents or guardian.
Subscription is directly through Reliable Life by mail or on line. Questions should be directed to
Reliable Life at 1-800-463-5437 or www.insuremykids.com
For today's active children, especially those who participate in field trips, co-curricular and other
school activities outside the school day, Student Accident Insurance is valuable. You can find
additional information on the Board’s website at www.ugdsb.on.ca.
HPV Vaccination for Grade 8 Girls
All female Grade 8 students in Ontario can decide to receive the free HPV vaccine & Cervical Cancer
Prevention (3 doses given over a 6 month period). The nurses at Wellington Dufferin-Guelph Public
Health give the immunization to your child at school, check your green handbook for dates. The
consent forms will be sent home early October.
Pizza Lunch
We sell pizza twice per week. The pizza is cheese or pepperoni and the cost is $1.50 per slice.
Students purchase pizza tickets in the “breezeway” door area at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are exchanged
for pizza at the table outside of the library at the beginning of lunch. Money raised by pizza sales is
used to support student trips, sports and special events. Pizza sales will take place on Tuesdays and
Fridays. The first pizza day will be Tuesday September 16.
LIONS’ PRIDE: Character Education At Waverley
This year at Waverley marks our fourth year with the LIONS’ PRIDE program. For those of you who
are new families to the school, this character education program involves teaching children about
basic human values including responsibility, kindness, generosity, courage, initiative, equality, and
respect. Our goal is to develop morally responsible students from junior kindergarten to grade 8.
This is a big endeavour, but one which can be accomplished with a strong home-school connection!
We know that the family is the first and most important influence on a child’s character and at the
school; we strive to reinforce the positive character values being taught at home.
According to researchers, parent involvement is the leading indicator of school success. We hope
that the school and our families can work together to present a united approach
concerning character matters- respect to promote character education. Our students will take part in
lessons, activities and assemblies, which focus on this quality. Take some time to discuss this quality
with your child and ask them about the activities taking place at school.
The LIONS’ PRIDE themes are outlined in our school handbook and will be highlighted in our
monthly newsletters for rules, responsibility toward homework, honesty in academics,
sportsmanship at athletic events-in order to ensure that our students get a clear and consistent
message.
Hot Lunch
Welcome back Waverly Lions Hope you had a relaxing summer! The Food program is back
in session for breakfast, snack and lunch. We will officially begin to serve on September the
8 th. Please come in the breezeway doors by the portables. We will let you in at 8:15 a.m.
We welcome back Andrew McTaggart and Heather Janes as our wonderful breakfast
volunteers. We are always in need of help so if you would be interested in baking, food
prep, shopping or serving students…..Please contact the school and ask for Mrs. Schopp.
She would love to hear from you!
Milk program is Back! You can buy your milk tickets for .75¢. They are available in the food
program room before school and at first break. Milk will be handed out starting September
the 8th during second break.